Shouldn’t health care percentage be equal?

The CWA public employee union is creating a stir because Gov. Christie wants to have public employees pay 30 percent of their health care premium mandated by state law instead of through negotiations as the union wants. Consider this: If the percentage of health care is negotiated, the CWA members could wind up paying more than the members of other unions. Let’s say CWA negotiations resulted in CWA members paying 28 percent. One of the other unions could negotiate 25 percent. Then, what would the CWA people say? If it is a part of law, as the governor wants, it will be the same for everyone.

Comments

About Bob Ingle

Bob Ingle is Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey newspapers and co-author of The New York Times' Best Seller, "The Soprano State: New Jersey's Culture of Corruption" and "Chris Christie: The Inside Story Of His Rise To Power". He has won numerous journalism awards and is often a news analyst on radio and television. Twitter @ bobingle99.

As you pointed out, it does allow for one union to pit their contributions against another union. Sort of what we have been doing with the School Superintendents. We see where that has gotten us!

I’m also not sure how union negotiated contributions would effect all the thousands of NON-union employees? As I understand it, the 30% would be EVERYONE, even local politicians and board members.

Secondly, and I think more to the point, it allows for a quick and easy change to the plan by….let us say…a more “progressive” governor in the future right back to where they are today. So all you need do is pay enough to get a Jon Jr elected and he negotiates a new contract all on his lonesome. At least in a legislative process any changes are more open and more people are involved.

Remember when Corzine negotiated that newly hired teachers to pay a little more for health care (one and a half percent) already employed teachers …but let the bill sit on his desk for 8 mos ,at the request of the NJEA so the newly hired would pay the same amount as tenured teachers !…Jon always did drive a tough bargain

It’s pretty straightforward as to why, when the contract expires so does the percentage they have to pay. The one term freeholder will be out of office, things may be looking up for the economy and the union might negotiate a better deal for their members at the next contract talks.

for speedkillsu: jonny boy also showed how tough he was when he told the public workers they couldn’t have off on black friday unless they took a vacation day. even a dummy would know that was all arranged with the union to make him look good to the taxpayers(who are they?). of course he more than made it up to them during the next contract negotiations. remember his “i will fight for you for a great contract”.

Do you really think that this will save tax payers any money….Remember when the mayor of you rtown told you how great it is to have that strip mall then home depot in your town how the rateables will save you money on property taxes…Guess what …its the same kool aid that Christie is throwing out there.. Remember when the sales tax went up 1% to help reduce your property taxes…How did that work out for you….taxes up..property taxes up rebate gone!!
How come we do not hear anything about the prevailing wage laws that are milking dollars from us? They are also hurting any recovery to our economy while protecting Sweeneys cronies. Let me know how that $260 million gift to bail out that casino works out….

The expectation that ALL government employees should pay 30% of the health care plan that they select, is fairly reasonable and seems to be equal or better than many private sector coverage.

If in addition, the plans were assembled and negotiated by an intelligent team at the state level, they might get a better bang for their buck.

There are extreme in the private sector in regards to health insurance but I do feel that the 30% , especially with a number of choices, is a decent benefit. I have no thirst for blood with government employees and do believe that health insurance to them, just like the rest of us, is an essential perk. It is simply a matter of appreciating that FREE, or nearly so is not economically feasible nor right.

Of course this will save millions lets remember Sweeney exempted health care from the 2% cap …if union workers they will take a plan down a notch or two ,with higher copay .It’s like christie is forcing towns to merge ,it;s the same principal here drop the cadillac plan for a chevy

The private sector, such as banks, oil companies, Wall St., etc have sucked us all dry. Now all you bloodsuckers want the public workers, most of whom make aound 50k, to make up the difference. What a bunch of crybabies.

Ontheroad-I don’t know what line of work you are in, but we all subsidize each other’s pay by the goods we buy, the services we use, where and how we save/invest our money, etc. It is a tw-way street. The problem is that the private sector thinks that all public workers hsould work for lwo end pay.

By the way, as a former federal employee, I always paid about 30% for my healthcare, and now I pay 80%. I have no proiblem with that concept. It is how Christie speaks to and about teachers and most other public workers that I disagree with, as well as some of his policies. Not to mention the fact that he is a flat out liar. But that never seems to bother those of you who have a real hate on for public workers. You’ll bring out the Corzie, McGreevery,Florio argument.

To all public employees, if you want your bennies, and pensions in full, go figure out how to sell all the bonded projects your elected leaders built thelast ten years or so at your expense. The lautenburg train depot, xanadu, SCC, prudential center, municipal grandstand buildings, etc, etc…

Illegally bonded projects to keep other unions happy for kick backs and such have to be paid somehow. No wonder tete is money for your interests. And the thing is since themajority of workers who receive their income via state/municipal union type contracts are the primary voters who religiously show up to vote for their immediate best interests. It us all yourown fault. Greedy selfish bastards.

And don’t tell me how their spenders who keep the economy going, because generally, they’re the cheapest non american shoppers in the state.

Goto the state government parking lots and public school parking lots and go see how many foreign cars they drive, they all shop at Walmart and would use cheap illegal labor rather than use a licensed and insured contractor who’s prices naturally have to be higher because if all the regulations they have to follow.

Stop crying pussies, you made your bed, now lie in it, or lie on the unemployment line.

Its about time they pitched in to pay their keep. These whining overpaid greedsters have a virulent case of The Gimmees. NJ has 21 counties, 567 towns and 615 school districts. Taxpayers are swamped with a $9.2BILLION annual payroll for 142,000 whiners swilling at the trough….including 900 tax-sucking Supts and Asst Supts–(some supervising one or NO schools).

A state report showed educators routinely file falsified financial documents to dupe taxpayers and to hide tax-paid million dollar deals. (Filing false documents is a felony.)

fedup, yes, we all subsidize each other`s pay in one way or another. I guess it could be said that we subsidize drug dealers also. When we pay someone to work at out home (trash hauling, roofer, gardener, etc) and they decide to recreationally use drugs, then we are indirectly subsidizing the drug dealers.
However, we can cut back on this subsidizing if we decide to cut our own grass, clean our own house, or hire someone with a more competitive price. Currently, the government runs the only game in town. If you decide to send your children to a private school, you still have to pay for the public schools. Many things that are subsidized by the government are not utilized by the people who pay for them. How many books do you get from your library? How many times do you visit the parks? Do you play golf at the Monmouth County courses?
The government has deviated from providing “essential” services and embraced “frills” services, because the politicians can then utilize the spoils system to enrich their friends, family, and financial supporters.

The point everyone is missing is everyone with a job or every had a job does so for several reasons. Be it the pay, benefits,vacation packages, bonuses or other perks. With that said when taking a public job be it a secretary, teacher,police officer, or a trash collector you are signing on to these items speeled out to you when hired. Even if your a bank teller or grocery store clerk, or even the VP of the bank or the store, you know up front what kind of future you have at that position and company or branch of government. It is wrong to expect people who plan their lives around the income and benefits they signed up for. Even the Gov with his private business, his wife knows what is promised to her to support her family. Even better got a raise after the millionaire tax was taken away, every day workers are losing while the higher income g0t a 30% raise.

fedupinnj … The difference is that it is choice whether we purchase one another’s goods and services. There is no choice in taxpayers paying rich benefits toward puiblic workers. Furthermore those benefits are given, not even actually negotiated by politicians that use those benefits as chips to bargain for votes. The taxpayers are held hostage. As a federal employee I congratulate you on paying 30% of the benefits that you received so I would be more expectant of you to warrant state workers to pay their fair share which still amounts to a 70% subsidy.
Oh and by the way I’m selfemployed and have had to negotiate the mine field of having to pay 100% of my health and pension benefits so you’ll forgive me if I don’t exactly see the point of working much longer than the public sector and paying for benefits that I only wish I could afford. That also means no vacation or sick days much less the compilation of sick days.
Personally I’ve always been fiscally conservative and have invested well but that doesn’t mean that I ascribe to any definition of wealth redistribution by any methods. The state has become too expensive as has been noted by the BC study on the loss of wealth. There’s a plethora of statistics and studies that support the financial demise of the state, past, prsent and future.

D Seles Conditions change and contracts expire. Many benefits given to public workers were made by the legislature and can be rescinded by the legislture. Unfortunately the promises made by politicians have proven to be unsustainable. Already the health and pension funds are declining so that within a few short years there will be no money left. What then? Pitchfork and rebellions? Now I sound like Javagold.
There’s no security in the private sector and if those fail what guarentees should the public workers have if the taxpayers are washed out? Your Utopia is faulted.

The more basic question, regardless of anything….What are fair and reasonable benefits for public workers?

Obviously the more you are directly impacted the stronger the “feeling”.

Basing an opinion on the realities of the 21st century and removing all the past politics and games, it remains fair and justifiable to expect that public workers contribute 30% of their health care costs.

The pension question is actually a little more comples but BOTH situations have the fundamental weakness in contributions while also being chock full of abuses.
Both systems need to be rid of those who should never have been included as well as those (especially higher ups and politically connected) who have gamed the system to receive extraordinary benefits and payouts.

No matter what the past, the finger pointing, all the other scams, injustices, wastes, skull duggery, lies, mis-statements, promises, contracts, laws, edicts, polices, mandates, or any other mundane deflection from the core point……the system needs to change. It has to reflect a REAL WORLD approach in these matters.

I will also add…the system has tobe fair to those who are in it legitimately and the “transition” to a sustainable program should include some considerations of compassion.

About this Blog

Bob Ingle, Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey newspapers, on politics in "The Soprano State".

The Soprano State (the Movie)

Debuted October 18, 2010

About the Author

Bob IngleBob Ingle is Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey Newspapers and co-author of The New York Times' Best Seller, "The Soprano State: New Jersey's Culture of Corruption." Hear him Fridays at 5 p.m. on www.tommygshow.com radio. twitter.com/bobingle99 E-mail Bob

Follow Me

Chris Christie biography

"Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power," written by Bob Ingle and Michael Symons, offers the first inside portrait of New Jersey’s governor, who in two years as governor emerged as a national Republican Party figure famous for his blunt public statements. The book details Christie’s combative public persona and deep family roots, tracing his improbable political rise from a bruising stint in county government to his anti-corruption crusade as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power goes behind the scenes to reveal his family life, his public life, and what the future might hold..

Buy the Book:

The Soprano State

"The Soprano State," written by Bob Ingle and Sandy McClure, details the you-couldn't-make-this-up true story of the corruption that has pervaded New Jersey politics, government, and business for the past thirty years. From Jimmy Hoffa purportedly being buried somewhere beneath the end zone in Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands, through allegations of a thoroughly corrupt medical and dental university, through Mafia influence at all levels, to a governor who suddenly declares himself a “gay American” and resigns, the Garden State might indeed be better named after the HBO mobsters.

Oh no, more snow! Here's a quick look at the New Jersey government and politics calendar on this winter-won't-leave-without-a-fight Friday, March 20th, 2016: Gov. Chris Christie heads to Florida this weekend for some political travel. Saturday night, he's in Boca … Continue reading →

On Thursday March 19th, 2015 in New Jersey politics: Hillary Clinton, widely considered the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for president, is in New Jersey to deliver a paid speech to a conference of the American Camp Association at … Continue reading →

In New Jersey politics on Wednesday, March 18th, 2015 ... Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, who left office after being shot in the head in an attempted assassination in 2011, is at the Statehouse in Trenton for a … Continue reading →

On Tuesday, March 17th, 2015 in New Jersey politics: Gov. Chris Christie holds a town-hall meeting, 3 p.m. at the National Guard Armory in Freehold. Here's a backgrounder on the event. Senate President Stephen Sweeney and other members of the … Continue reading →

On New Jersey's political calendar for Monday, March 16th: Senate voting session, noon at the Statehouse in Trenton. It's the Senate last session before taking its budget break, meaning most of the Senate shifts into low gear until May while … Continue reading →

On Thursday, March 12th, 2015 in New Jersey politics: Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who is acting governor because Gov. Chris Christie is traveling out of state, addresses the New Jersey Tourism Industry Association conference at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic … Continue reading →

Have a happy Wednesday, March 12th, 2015. Here's a bit of what's going on in New Jersey politics: Gov. Chris Christie is traveling in Florida for Leadership Matters for America purposes. Assembly Budget Committee holds its first of three public … Continue reading →

In New Jersey politics on Tuesday, March 10th, 2015: Gov. Chris Christie holds a town-hall style meeting, 11 a.m. in the school gymnasium at Van Derveer Elementary School in Somerville. In a visit to the same school in 2010, Christie … Continue reading →

On Monday, March 9th, 2015, in New Jersey politics: Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno takes part in the New Jersey kick-off event for the Million Women Mentors effort to increase the interest and confidence of girls and young women in the … Continue reading →